Following very public bouts with E. coli and norovirus outbreaks at its restaurants in recent months, Chipotle revamped its safety protocols, mandating that stores be temporarily shut down if someone inside becomes sick. That plan was put into motion Tuesday when a Virginia restaurant closed around lunchtime. [More]
sickness
Self-Driving Cars: Fewer Accidents, But More Motion Sickness
By 5.29.15
Cars increasingly drive themselves. If tech companies have their way, then entirely autonomous vehicles will be the future as soon as possible. But that future isn’t exactly primed to be glorious for everyone. For those of us at all prone to motion sickness, that future — despite being lower on accidents and higher on energy efficiency — is not going to be fun. [More]
Environmental Protection Agency Says Beach Sand Can Make You Sick
By 2.6.12
The beach has all sorts of ways to punish you for daring to relax and enjoy life. The sun can burn you and give you cancer, while the water can drown and poison you. Then there’s the sand, which can contain pathogens that make you feel like a Patriots fan the day after yet another crushing Super Bowl humiliation at the hands of the Giants. [More]
The Art Of Making Public Restroom Breaks Less Icky
By 2.6.12
Practicing solid bathroom hygiene is a great way to keep from getting sick, and doing so is especially important when using heavily trafficked, rarely cleaned public lavatories. The nastier the bathroom, the more unique the health challenges they present. [More]
170 Get Sick After Spending Time At Playboy Mansion
By 2.15.11
A bacterial outbreak at a Playboy Mansion fundraiser Feb. 3 has left dozens reeling, believed to have been infected with legionellosis. The malady has caused flu-like systems in 170 people who attended the event. [More]
No, You Can't Re-Catch Your Own Cold From Your Toothbrush
By 2.8.11
Conventional wisdom holds that you should replace a toothbrush you used when you were sick, lest you face extending the illness or re-infecting yourself. [More]
They Turned My Flight Around For A Sick Stewardess
By 12.4.09
An anonymous reader says her U.S. Airways flight 798 from Philadelphia to Amsterdam gave her a shorter round trip than she bargained for. The pilot turned the plane around over the Atlantic because a stewardess felt under the weather. She writes: [More]
By 7.8.09
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The FDA has issued a new ruling that says egg producers must “test regularly for salmonella and buy chicks from suppliers who do the same,” and that eggs “will have to be refrigerated on the farm and during shipment” as well as by wholesalers and in the store. The rule is meant to cut down on the number of egg-related salmonella cases nationwide, which currently are around 142,000 a year. [Washington Post] (Photo: Andreas Kollegger)
How Did E. Coli Get Into Nestle's Cookie Dough?
By 6.24.09
USA Today is reporting that the FDA is “stumped” by the presence of E. coli 0157:H7 in Nestle Tollhouse Cookie Dough, which was recalled last week. How does bacteria normally associated with raw ground beef find its way into our buckets of delicious cookie dough? Some speculation, inside.
United Airlines Won't Help Rush You To Your Dying Mother's Bedside Because "It's Time For The Ticketing Agent's Break"
By 4.12.09
Mike rushed his girlfriend to the airport to catch a flight to see her dying mother, only to watch her miss the flight because United Airline’s ticketing agent refused to help because “it was time for her to go on her break.” Passengers waiting in line were more than willing to let Mike’s girlfriend skip to the front of the line, but her sad situation apparently wasn’t enough to earn the agent’s sympathies. When his girlfriend finally reached the gate in time to watch her flight depart, the gate agent defended his colleague’s lack of sympathy, saying “management really makes us work some unreasonable schedules.”
Salmonella Peanut Butter Plant Repeatedly Violated Health Codes
By 1.26.09
The Georgia peanut plant responsible for the salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 500 and killed at least 7 was repeatedly cited with health code violations for being “not properly cleaned and sanitized.”
Insurance Companies Announce Proposal To Increase Coverage For Hard-To-Insure
By 12.20.07
An insurance trade group today announced a “series of steps” to expand the number of Americans who have health insurance. “The proposals, approved by a board of the industry’s main trade group, would make it harder for insurers to cancel policies or deny coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions. The steps would also limit the premiums that could be charged for such people.” The trade off? “The trade group also called on states to provide individual coverage for people who were likely to incur very high medical bills.”
